ESCAPE ARTISTS The first stage after the second rest day is perhaps the toughest of all psychologically, with fatigue catching up and the Dolomites lying in wait. Nothing could be worse, therefore, than the hike back up Mont Cenis. The stage will conclude with a loop around Ivrea, and with a mouthwatering climb to Andrate on the menu, the final 20 kilometres look terrific. It’s the perfect day for the break to stick, so everyone will be going for it. Which leads to the inescapable conclusion that the winner will be… anybody’s guess.

Stefano Zanatta says: "Probably the calm before the storm for the GC guys. The deciding factors will be who comes out of the rest day better and who gets into a decisive break. It may take some time but if I had to choose any stage where the break will stay away, this would be it. The point is, of course, that 200 riders will be thinking the same thing, so there will be an almighty battle to get the right group organised. It’s another of those everyman stages."